[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3135-3136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-826]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8271-9; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2006-0868]


Metabolically-Derived Human Ventilation Rates: A Revised Approach 
Based Upon Oxygen Consumption Rates

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 30-day public comment period for the draft 
document titled, ``Metabolically-Derived Human Ventilation Rates: A 
Revised Approach Based Upon Oxygen Consumption Rates'' (EPA/600/R-06/
129A). The document was prepared by the National Center for 
Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and 
Development (ORD).
    In 1997, NCEA published the Exposure Factors Handbook. This 
comprehensive document provides summaries of available statistical data 
on various factors that can impact an individual's exposure to 
environmental contaminants. NCEA maintains the Exposure Factors 
Handbook and periodically updates the document using current literature 
and other reliable data made available through research. Many program 
offices within EPA rely on the data from this handbook to conduct their 
exposure and risk assessments.
    One important determinant of a person's exposure to contaminants in 
air is the ventilation rate, or the volume of air that is inhaled by an 
individual in a specified time period. Ventilation rates, also known as 
breathing or inhalation rates, are given in Chapter 5 of the Exposure 
Factors Handbook. Calculations of the currently recommended ventilation 
rates were limited by their dependence on a ``ventilatory equivalent,'' 
which relied on a person's fitness level. This draft report, 
``Metabolically-Derived Human Ventilation Rates: A Revised Approach 
Based Upon Oxygen Consumption Rates,'' presents a revised approach that 
calculates ventilation rates directly from an individual's oxygen 
consumption rate, and applies this method to data provided from more 
recent sources, such as the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition 
Examination Survey (NHANES) and EPA's Consolidated Human Activity 
Database (CHAD). In the next edition of the Exposure Factors Handbook, 
NCEA would like to update the ventilation rate values using this 
revised approach and the more recently released data.
    EPA is releasing the draft, ``Metabolically-Derived Human 
Ventilation Rates: A Revised Approach Based Upon Oxygen Consumption 
Rates,'' solely for the purpose of pre-dissemination peer review under 
applicable information quality guidelines. This document has not been 
formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be 
construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. EPA will 
consider any public comments submitted in accordance with this notice 
when revising the document.

DATES: The 30-day public comment period begins January 24, 2007, and 
ends February 23, 2007. Technical comments should be in writing and 
must be received by EPA by February 23, 2007. In a subsequent Federal 
Register notice EPA will announce the details of an external peer 
review meeting that will be conducted via teleconference.

ADDRESSES: The draft, ``Metabolically-Derived Human Ventilation Rates: 
A Revised Approach Based Upon Oxygen Consumption Rates,'' is available 
primarily via the Internet on the National Center for Environmental 
Assessment's home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and 
Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of 
paper copies are available from the Technical Information Staff, NCEA-
W; telephone: 202-564-3261; facsimile: 202-565-0050. If you are 
requesting a paper copy, please provide your name, your mailing 
address, and the document title, ``Metabolically-Derived Human 
Ventilation Rates: A Revised Approach Based Upon Oxygen Consumption 
Rates'' (EPA/600/R-06/129A).
    Comments may be submitted electronically via www.regulations.gov, 
by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/courier. Please follow the 
detailed instructions provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, contact the Office of Environmental Information Docket; 
telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-1753; or e-mail: 
[email protected].
    For technical information, contact Laurie Schuda, NCEA; telephone: 
202-564-3206; facsimile: 202-564-2018; or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD 2006-
0868 by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-1753.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket 
(Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-
566-1752.
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, Room 3334, EPA West Building, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public 
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is 202-566-1744. Such deliveries are only accepted during 
the docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should 
be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    If you provide comments by mail or hand delivery, please submit one 
unbound original with pages numbered consecutively, and three copies of 
the comments. For attachments, provide an

[[Page 3136]]

index, number pages consecutively with the comments, and submit an 
unbound original and three copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2006-0868. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. 
The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov, 
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available 
on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends 
that you include your name and other contact information in the body of 
your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read 
your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials, 
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: January 12, 2007.
George Alapas,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E7-826 Filed 1-23-07; 8:45 am]
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